Yami
by The King of Pop
Summary: The Water Spirit saved Princess Yue when she was a baby. However, she isn't the only Princess that a Spirit has touched. Only this time it's caused something...darker to happen. AU from Boiling Rock onwards, slight xover with Yugioh.
1. Darkness Awakened

**I wonder why these types of stories aren't as plentiful here as they are in other categories. Anyway, this is a story I wanted to try after reading a ton of Yu-Gi-Oh fics and remembering when I used to watch the anime when it was on. No, there won't be any Millennium Items or Duel Monsters, but it will take a few aspects from that universe alright. Oh how the later chapters will fill me with pure joy.**

_The Boiling Rock_

Zuzu had improved his Firebending since she last saw him, by a large margin actually. It mattered little to Azula however, as she sidestepped his counter and jabbed at the Water Tribe savage. There was plenty of room on the gondola for them to use some of their stronger moves, but they couldn't get too wild or they'd risk their flames cleaving through the thick cable holding everyone above the volcanic water.

She wanted to win, she wanted to truly claim what was hers; the Crown. With Zuko working alongside the Avatar the chance of the monk stopping her father increased, not by much of course, but enough to warrant eliminating her brother here and now. She would've liked having him alongside her back in Caldera, the siblings fighting as an unstoppable team, but it was not to be. He made his choice, and she would make hers.

It wasn't like he even cared about her anyway. When they were young he always told on her to _mother_ for _every little thing_. To make things worse that woman always scolded her, always punished her, she did everything under the sun, except love her. She loved her precious little Zuko, _spineless_ little Zuzu.

But not her.

Her anger caused her to miscalculate for one second and rewarded her with a powerful blast to the chest that nearly sent her off the edge.

"Cut the line!" Someone shouted from inside the gondola. Most like the captured Warden. It didn't matter to her. Even if she were to die today, she would die knowing she had taken Zuko down first.

_**Take him down now!**_

Not taking the time to figure out if the voice was her own or imagined, the Fire Princess began the process of separating her chi. Azula knew that the time for playing games was now over. Now was the time to unleash the strongest move in her arsenal of skills. At this close range Zuko would be unable to dodge the lightning, and would either drop dead onto the metal of the gondola or fall into the boiling lake. Either option sounded good to the Princess right now.

He shouldn't have betrayed her like mother did.

Azula kip-upped and just a moment after unleashed the deadly lightning towards him. Yes! It struck true, right into his chest forcing him back! It-wait. Why did it not hurt him? Right now he was curled into himself slightly, a look of deep concentration, small sparks dancing off his body here and there.

No…..he learned how to neutralize lightning?! The only way that he could have learned something like that was from Uncle. It was….another betrayal to her. Mother, Zuko, Uncle…at every turn they opposed her, all her life they had been doing this to her. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair!

_**Take care of him!**_

Indeed she would. She didn't have a chance to think what to do next when her brother extended his hand to her, right as the entire gondola shook harshly. His aim went off course, not hitting her like he most likely intended. It hit something else.

…

Ty Lee didn't like what was happening. She didn't want to fight above the boiling lake, she didn't want to hurt the Kyoshi Warrior, or the Water Tribe cutie, or Zuko. Despite having incredible fighting skills, Ty Lee never wanted to hurt anyone, but for Azula she had to. Fighting for one's defense was one thing of course, but since joining up with Azula it had been a series of increasingly violent fights and confrontations. Hell Azula had _killed_ the Avatar while he had been in the Avatar State. That scared the acrobat.

But she stayed by her friend's side the entire time.

Some would ask why when it was obvious Azula was evil Fire Nation Royalty the rest of the world feared and hated. Some would ask why Ty Lee stuck by someone that only used her for their own means. To the acrobat the answer was instant and passionate.

Because she loved Azula.

Not like a lover of course, Ty Lee wasn't interested in girls, but Ty Lee loved Azula as if the Princess were her sister. Hell compared to her real sisters, Azula beat them by a far margin in how she and Ty interacted and bonded. The Azure Princess was her very first friend ever, and when they were younger, when the war wasn't put upon their shoulders, it shown like the first rays of a sunrise.

When they were children, Ty Lee remembered, Azula had moments of actually being just a carefree girl. Someone who was interested in being as good as any boy, and then surpassing them. Azula used to play all kinds of silly games with her, she used to be such a different person.

Azula used to cry.

When the pain of a cold father and a neglectful mother became too much for the Princess, she would come to Ty Lee and cry until her eyes were bloodshot and she had fallen asleep. Being the friend and compassionate person Ty Lee was, she always had a shoulder for the other girl to lay out all her pains. Ty Lee would always be there for her.

She was there for her _that night_, and from then on had vowed to never let Azula be pained and hurt like that ever again. Now, while her friend was lost within darkness, she would still be there. Ty Lee had taken a personal vow and only death would break it. The acrobat had noticed Azula's aura getting darker and darker as her mission to take out the Avatar had progressed. It constantly reminded her of _that night_, and so even while taking abuse she stayed. _It_ couldn't be allowed out.

The gondola stopped violently, the entire thing swinging for a second and distracting Ty Lee from her fight with Suki. That one second would change the entire world. For just as she was about to stabilize herself a bolt of lightning struck her in the skull. In that instance her entire vision turned white, fire surged through her body savagely, and her grip on reality stopped.

For just one moment Ty Lee died, before coming back to her body and starting to fall forward. It took two seconds to hit the metal beneath her, but it felt like an hour to the acrobat. Her head turned to look upon Azula as she was falling. To her horror Azula had a hand upon her forehead, digging into hair and skin while her eyes were wide as dinner plates. The Princess was in obvious pain and getting worse by the second. Yet she could do nothing.

"I'm sorry Azula." No one heard the whisper and Ty Lee slipped into darkness.

…..

"Agni no." Zuko muttered in horror, not caring if his sister attacked him while he was distracted. He had been about to redirect the lightning away from the battle atop the gondola when the transport had jerked and thrown his aim off. When the bolt impacted with Ty Lee's head it felt as if the world paused for the Prince. He hadn't meant to do that, not to the kind-hearted girl that loved to wear pink. Without even thinking about anyone else he rushed to her side, joined by Suki while Sokka kept an eye on Azula.

"Ty Lee, can you hear me? Please, say something." A few gentle shakes did nothing to bring the acrobat to a conscious state. Luckily he found a pulse when he felt for one, weak, but there nonetheless.

"Zuko, I think something is wrong with your sister." Sokka called to him, reminding the Royal of his dangerous sibling that was only feet away.

Shifting his focus from his downed friend to Azula, Zuko frowned when he saw she had not made a move to attack them. Instead she had her right hand pressed against her forehead, her eyes wide, and her shoulders shaking. Azula's breathing came in shallow gasps, along with light moans and growls, as if she were in pain. He didn't see Sokka or Suki attack her, so what was wrong with her? Had she perhaps been hit with a stray tendril of the lightning bolt that he countered?

"Zuko!" Suki shouted his name, and when he looked, pointed down to Ty Lee. The acrobat had her arm extended towards his sister, hand shaking slightly, eyes pained and half-lidded.

"Azula…" It was all she spoke before falling into darkness once more.

Now his sister had turned partially away from them, both hands in her hair gripped so hard that her knuckles shown bone white. Azula's breath was more labored than before, as if she were suffocating. Sweat poured down her face and neck, skin looking clammy as if she were sick with a cold.

The Princess stumbled as she faced them, though from the way she looked it was obvious she was in her own little world with whatever was wrong with her. She tilted her head back, eyeing the sky, hands still gripping her hair like a lifeline. The girl then let out a scream of pain and terror that Zuko had never once heard from her. Her body lit up with a faint aura that was tan in color, but it lasted only seconds.

Finally everything stopped. No breathing trouble, no growls of pain, no scream, nothing. Azula's arms dropped to her side like dead weight, but she stood still otherwise. Another second passed before her head fell forward, and everyone gasped in either shock of slight fear.

She _looked_ different enough that one would think someone else stood in front of them. Before her hair had been up in a perfectly fashioned topknot, but now her hair hung free. The crown and hair tie that usually held it up had fallen out, and let a lot of her hair hand around her back and shoulders. Oddly however, most of the hair on top now stood out in large spikes going every direction possible. Most of the spikes were at least two feet long and as thick as his arm, how they were held up he had no idea. The two bangs that usually framed her face now pointed completely horizontally above her forehead, but they didn't hide something else that startled them.

Upon Azula's forehead glowed the symbol for _Shadow_, gleaming a bright tan against the girl's pale skin. It reminded the three of when Aang would enter the Avatar State and his tattoos would glow blue. Zuko was next drawn to the fact that her eyes _had no pupils_. That was _impossible_, yet he was seeing it right in front of him. The usually luminescent gold that her eyes usually shined was gone, the color now completely dull and lifeless looking.

Adding to the horrific look of his transformed sister were the numerous veins that showed in her cheeks and around her eyes. Each one pulsed lightly with every heartbeat, not harshly, but enough. Zuko had never seen anything like this before, nor had Uncle ever told him of anything like this. For the first time in a while, Zuko felt truly afraid of Azula. That sick grin she was sporting certainly didn't help at all, the paleness of her lips nearly matching the color of her teeth.

"**I'm finally free**." It sounded like his sister, only…..her voice was a tone deeper and had a slight echo to it. It didn't have that calm and cold sound he was so used to hearing after all these years. No, her voice sounded like hate made reality.

**Like, dislike? Tell me your thoughts my friends. The image of Yami Azula just calls to me.**


	2. Yami

**Glad to hear that you guys like the story already. I love to try new things with my writing all the time. Like I said before there won't be any Millennium Items or Duel Monsters, however there will be elements of the Shadow Realm, and three certain Monsters. It will be woven in so that it makes sense though, so don't think it's just there for no reason. On to the story then.**

Zuko couldn't take his eyes off his sister, or whatever his sister had transformed into, but after several seconds he tried to speak. "Azula….."

The Princess' grin widened further, causing her already disturbing expression to worsen. "**Hehehe, Azula isn't here anymore. I'm the one running the show from now on Zuzu.**" The Royal looked at Ty Lee's unconscious form, "**I guess I should thank you Zuzu. If you hadn't taken this fool down I'd still be just a voice in Azula's mind.**"

Zuko couldn't stand the smirk Azula, or whoever this thing was, was sending him. "It was an accident! I didn't hurt her on purpose."

Azula's laugh was disturbing and infuriating at the same time. "**That just makes the guilt you feel that much worse. Doesn't it dear little Zuzu?**" Azula moved to the gondola's edge and crouched slightly, "**If you care for that girl I'd suggest getting her to a healer, like the Waterbending peasant, as fast as possible. Taking lightning to the head can't be that good for one's health, hahahaha!**" Eyes widened with madness, Azula jumped away from the gondola and shot blue flames from her limbs. Like Aang used his Airbending to glide upon air currents, Azula used her Firebending to glide with the kinetic energy generated by the fire. She was heading towards the docking station, where Mai stood over several downed prison guards. _**Well, isn't this interesting**_

The gondola was moving again, but Zuko, Sokka, and Suki didn't feel especially victorious. Zuko began to pick up the pink-loving acrobat, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "I'll do it. It's the least I can do right now." His eyes met Suki's and nodded slowly. Within ten minutes it seemed his world changed, and the young Prince needed time to process it. He was glad that Azula had arrived upon a large war balloon, as they now had several people to transport back to the Western Air Temple.

He hoped Katara would be able to do something for Ty Lee, and that Aang might have some kind of Avatar insight into what happened to his sister.

**Boiling Rock**

Azula stood opposite Mai silently: one girl glaring, the other grinning nonchalantly. A few guards stood by, while two held the gloomy girl between them. No one really knew what to do at the moment, and the guards were all confused by how there Princess looked so different than when she arrived earlier to interrogate a prisoner. Wisely they kept such questions to themselves.

Azula tilted her head slightly, her grin never disappearing, "**I'd say it's a surprise to see you turn on your fellow Fire Nation citizens. Hell I wish I could say it upsets me, but that would be a lie. With how you love Zuzu so much I wonder why this didn't happen sooner. Ah well, it doesn't matter.**"

Mai kept her eyes locked on Azula, watching for any sign that she was going to attack. "I love him more than I could ever fear you. If you think changing how you look is going to scare me, you're sorely mistaken. You aren't as powerful as you seem to think Azula." Though her words rang true to herself, Mai did wonder how the other girl ended up looking like that.

Azula frowned at the words, but not for the reason Mai thought. "**I'll tell you what I told Zuzu: Azula isn't here anymore. I'm the one in control now, perhaps a change is in order?**" She looked over her body for several seconds, before ending up staring her hands down. "**Yes. Azula is no more after all. My name is Yami Azula.**" Her blank eyes returned to the knife-wielder.

The only indication that Mai cared was a raised brow. "Yami Azula? Whatever you call yourself you'll be just as disappointed as before. I don't fear you." Confidence gave way to confusion when Yami Azula broke into a fit of demented laughter.

Yami Azula continued to laugh for a minute, then abruptly stopped. Idly tracing one of the veins in her cheek, the Princess shook her head, "**I don't want you to fear me. I could care less if you were to fear me girl. No, there only thing I want is for you to suffer.**"

Instead of attacking like Mai was expecting, Yami Azula simply walked right passed her, smirking at her the entire time. "Strange way of trying to hurt me, don't you think?"

Yami Azula half turned towards her, her head tilted almost sideways, that damn smirk still there. "**It would be rude of me to not allow you your last meal.**"

"Oh my, I'm _really_ suffering now."

"**You will my dear, don't doubt that.**"

**Western Air Temple**

The reunion between those who had been prisoners with the Gaang was short, but sweet. The joy of seeing loved ones was marred by the unconscious and injured Ty Lee.

"Is there anything you can do?" Zuko's hands were holding the hem of his tunic tightly, worried that Ty Lee had not once stirred since they had left the Boiling Rock.

Katara worked some water around the girl's head, back and forth, several times. The entire time the frown she wore had not left. It was only after several minutes that she sighed, recalling the water to her waterskin. "There isn't much I can do. I healed the burns and swelling from the lightning, but she's in a coma that I can't bring her out of."

"Will she wake up?" This time it was Suki that asked. Sure, Ty Lee had been an enemy and fearsome rival in combat, but that didn't mean she wanted the girl hurt like this.

"I don't know. If I still had water from the Spirit Oasis then I could heal her now, but from what I could sense…she could wake up tomorrow, or stay asleep forever." Katara was in a similar state as Suki. She didn't want to hurt people to this degree unless it was an absolute last resort.

Once Sokka and Zuko had returned they had explained what happened. Everyone was quite disturbed to learn that Ty Lee had been so grievously injured, and more so to learn that Azula had undergone some kind of unwanted transformation into whatever she had.

Sokka turned to Aang, who had been exceptionally quiet since seeing the state Ty Lee was in. "Do you think you could talk to the past Avatar Spirits? Maybe they would know something about what happened to Azula, and if the fight just got harder."

The monk let out a sigh, nodding his head and biting his lip. "Well, I can ask them for details for sure. I do remember a story the monks told me once though." He looked a little nervous, but still forged ahead.

"They told me about a legend passed down in Air Nomad culture that had mostly faded away, but the _really_ superstitious monks believed it like fact. The story goes that a long time ago there was a Spirit Of The Shadows that used to live peacefully in the Spirit World, until one day a village summoned it and enslaved it. They wanted to use its power to destroy their enemies, and for a while they did just that."

"Then, when all their enemies were gone, they started using the Spirit's power of Shadows for selfish reasons: games, punishment, and even murder. It started to get out of hand, until Avatar Atem finally became aware of the situation and destroyed the ones that had enslaved the Spirit. Unfortunately, by then the Spirit was filled with nothing but rage for the Human World, and so after Avatar Atem freed it, it tried to destroy the world."

"Avatar Atem stopped the Spirit and banished it from this realm, at the cost of his own life sadly."

Aang looked at his friends with sad determination, "I know that I have to stop Fire Lord Ozai, but I can't let Azula run loose if she's somehow become possessed by a vengeful spirit."

Zuko looked his friend right in the eye when he next spoke, "If Avatar Atem had to kill the villagers to set the Spirit free, will you have to kill Azula?"

Aang didn't even get a chance to answer before Katara harshly cut in, "It would be the most sensible thing to do. Azula killed him, it would only be justice if he returned the favor."

Despite the fact that he was trying to make good with the group, Zuko's glare towards the Waterbender could have caused a star to go supernova. "I don't care what she's done in the past, she's still my sister. If you kill her, I'll kill you without thinking twice."

Now Sokka decided to bear a super glare, "And when you do that _I'll_ kill _you_ Zuko. I appreciate you helping to rescue Suki and my Dad, but that won't save you if you hurt Katara."

"Stop!" Everyone looked at Aang. The Avatar was wide-eyed and frantically looking at everyone. It was clear their words were upsetting him a lot. "Don't you see what you're doing? Even if I stop the War, and stop the Fire Lord, when you say and do things like that it'll be as if the War never ended. There's nothing worse in this world than an endless cycle of hatred." With that last sentence the boy looked about a second away from tears. With how much he valued life, and how his friends had always been aware of this, they all looked down in slight shame.

"For now let's just get Finger Girl somewhere comfortable and do what we can to ease her state. We can discuss anything else later." Toph's mature words ended the conversation, though at first the girl had been content to just allow everyone to bicker. It was obvious that such violent words and thoughts needed to be forgotten.

Though, Toph did remember something she had been taught years ago about a great Earthbending Spirit that was somehow connected with this Shadow Spirit whom supposedly took control of Azula. She couldn't remember the entire thing, but when she had time to think she was sure it would come back to her.

**And there is chapter two. Hope you guys like the mythos I put in, I did my best to blend it into Avatar type mythos as I could. See ya.**


	3. Yami Azula vs Mai: Duel of Darkness

**Our first confrontation of the story. This chapter will have the first appearance of a certain place. I wonder if Mai is up to the task. I wonder indeed.**

The prison was on a super-tight lockdown since the escapes the day before, the Warden himself had not left his quarters once, except to relay orders about keeping the prisoners in their cells. The order came directly from Princess Azula, who put more fear into him just by looking his way than the idea of being executed for his failure. Making matters worse was the fact that he'd been ordered to place his niece into a cell until the Princess said otherwise. The man could only imagine what that meant; if there was no immediate punishment, was his niece going to have a public execution?

The niece that was currently on his mind sat on the floor on her cell, idly sharpening one of blades, waiting for whatever her fate would be. Mai had no clue why the guards had not taken any of her weapons, but who was she to complain? The gloomy girl was averse to killing anyone, but if a few bones were broken in the process of her escaping to join Zuko, well, she would still be able to sleep. Having no real distractions at the moment, Mai's mind began to wander.

What exactly was Yami Azula going to do now that Mai had betrayed her? Before, Mai would have expected to be attacked right then and there at the gondola station. Hell, even Yami Azula's words confused her. Her friend had always relished being able to make people fear her, causing them pain had never been something the Royal wanted. It was confusing and irritating, and it just so happened to remind her of one night while Azula, Ty Lee, and she were in pursuit of the Avatar and his group.

Mai had asked the circus girl why she continued to have faith in Azula, and continued to put up with the one-way friendship. _"I can't leave her Mai. She's been so hurt inside since…her mother….that I'll never leave her side. I also won't let _it_ out again."_ Ty Lee refused to elaborate on what _exactly_ Fire Lady Ursa had done to Azula, or what _it_ was, so with a sigh Mai had gone to bed that night with more questions than answers. Her musings were cut short by the door of the cell opening.

A female guard, for all the guards in the female part of the prison were women, looked down at her with pity. "Your presence is expected in the Yard. Agni have mercy on you." With no words in return Mai stood and followed the guard through the prison until they reached the Yard, the large area completely void of life save guards on wall duty.

And so Mai stood there for a minute, before rolling her eyes to herself. "Why am I here?" She asked herself, not pleased with being led here for apparently nothing.

"**To pay for betraying me of course.**"

Mai turned around quickly, not wanting her enemy to have access to her back. Her brow raised, "Were new clothes really needed?"

"**I felt a break from the mold was due.**" Instead of the red and black armor and fine cloth that was worn since setting out to capture her brother, everything about the Princess' new attire said 'criminal'. She wore a sleeveless, gray shirt that was tucked into baggy, beige pants held up with a black belt. The shirt was very tight, leaving no question as to Yami Azula's moderate, and still growing, bust. Instead of the footwear made from the finest materials she had before, the Royal now wore rugged military boots with a thick sole. A purple cloak pulled behind her hair and shoulders topped off the new look, along with a thin dagger tucked under the belt. The new outfit also showed that Yami Azula looked as if she somehow gained twenty pounds of muscle in her arms and torso, how the knife-wielder had no clue.

Mai wasn't impressed by the other girl's change in looks, "What's the plan now oh fearsome one?" Her sarcasm could melt paint off a ship at this point.

Yami Azula grinned at her former friend, "**You and I are going to fight of course. Anything and everything in our arsenal can be used to win.**" Her grin faded away, replaced by a serious look, and her hand raised to point at Mai, "**The best part of it, is that I'll get to send a message to Zuzu, the Avatar, and all their pathetic friends.**"

Mai didn't respond with words, but rather with a stiletto thrown towards Yami Azula's face. Yami Azula grabbed her dagger and knocked the projectile out of the air, frowning at the other girl. "**Perhaps I'll beat you at your own game then.**" She rushed towards Mai, dagger held at her side, and leapt into the air. Her first move was a flying kick aimed for Mai's chest, which was dodged and countered with a knife slash. Yami Azula blocked with her dagger, but a quick elbow to the jaw sent her stumbling back. Mai tried to follow with another knife attack, this time aiming for the Princess' throat. The insane Royal moved to the side, pushing the attacking arm away, then lashed out with a kick to Mai's gut. Mai raised a knee to block and backhanded Yami Azula in response, the Princess grunting in irritation as she stepped back, rubbing her cheek.

"Had enough already?" Mai mocked her former friend, holding two more stilettos ready. A throaty chuckle was her answer as Yami Azula looked at her with a psychotic grin.

"**I believe the time for the warm-up is over my dear. Now things will get serious.**" Suddenly it looked as if a translucent double of the right side of her face appeared, stretching away and disappearing a moment later. Her grin grew as she held up a hand, tan energy appearing around it in a chaotic swirl. "**We'll finish out dispute in the Spirit World, with a little condition added to it just for fun. Every time blood is drawn we'll lose a memory! Over and over again, until we either drop dead, or fade away into a mindless husk, devoid of everything we ever thought about!**" The tan energy rapidly grew in size until it encompassed the entire prison yard. Mai looked around her in surprise and a small amount of fear, for if she were truly seeing what she were seeing, then it would seem that she and Yami Azula stood within what could only be the Spirit World. The ethereal air around them, as well as the strange flora and fauna, and the feeling that many eyes and beings now watched her.

"**Pay attention my dear!**" Her focus snapped back to Yami Azula, but she was unable mount a defense in time to avoid the dagger slashing into her left arm. The cut wasn't deep or life-threatening, but _damn_ if it didn't hurt. Mai leapt away from her opponent, but a second later everything around her went black, leaving her standing in an expanse of nothingness. Until, that is, her brother Tom-Tom appeared three feet in front of her, sitting in a chair smiling happily at her.

"What?" Mai didn't know what was going on when Yami Azula appeared behind her brother's chair, grinning at her like a lunatic. "Get away-"Before she could say more Yami Azula swept a plume of blue fire over Tom-Tom's form, completely obliterating him. "No!" A second later something within her mind….tore. Like a piece of cloth cut from a tapestry, it fell away and disappeared. She gasped, eyes wide with fear and confusion, while Yami Azula licked her lips and showed her sharp canines like some kind of animal.

Mai knew she wasn't an only child, and that her mother had recently given birth to a sibling. Yet….Mai couldn't remember who this sibling was or anything about them.

**Scary stuff for Mai. Can she overcome Yami Azula before she loses all that she is?**


	4. The Winged Dragon of Ra

**Hey all, hope those that are reading this enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. C'mon guys, when you review I know what you like of course. So, let's see what will happen between Yami Azula and Mai.**

"**Don't you see my dear, how truly powerful I am? I was strong before, but now I have enough power to destroy everything in my path.**" Yami Azula grinned, eyes half-lidded, watching as Mai struggled with the sudden loss of one of her memories. It was so delicious to see, a sight that the wild-haired Princess would cherish.

"Shut up you freak!" Mai tossed a stiletto in Yami Azula's direction, more of a desperate move as she was coming out of the shock of having her mind assaulted. The blade struck however, grazing the Royal's cheek, a thin cut beginning to bleed lightly.

Yami Azula was in a slight stupor, having a blade so close to striking between her eyes. In the span of a second she entered a darkened world and returned, the sight of Lu Ten being crushed by Earthbenders her punishment for being cut. She shook her head, her large hair not moving much, and closed the distance between the two.

Instead of trying to slice Mai with her dagger, the psychotic Princess attacked with a punch to the ribs. The strike was blocked, however the head-butt that followed was not. Stars shined in Mai's vision, allowing Yami Azula to kick her in the gut and shove her away. The dagger within the Yami Azula's hand slashed, but her arm was blocked, to which Mai tried stabbing her in the face, but that was in return blocked. The two girls pushed against the other with all their strength, Yami Azula slowly pushing hers forward, growling at her slightly in that haunting echoing voice.

Suddenly she lowered her blade arm, causing Mai to stumble slightly, and receive a painful uppercut to the face. It caused their lock to end as the gloomy girl stepped back in pain, which doubled as a powerful punch to her face pushed her back again. Eyes watering and vision blurring, Mai was not fast enough to block the dagger that slashed her cheek open. Again she returned to that dark world of nothingness, this time seeing a young her, Ty Lee, and Azula having fun within the Royal Gardens of the Palace. Yami Azula appeared beside them and shot _three_ bolts of lightning in one strike, causing each girl to shatter into pieces like glass.

"**You are nothing in the grand scheme of things girl. Give up now or I'll continue to make it worse.**" Yami Azula was not grinning anymore, seeing that her opponent was not going to give her a decent fight like she wanted. Oh, she knew that victory was inevitable of course, but she wanted those who opposed her to at least pose some kind of challenge. This would not be one of those times it seemed.

"I'll never give into you." Though she no longer was seeing stars, the bleeding from her cheek was causing her to become light-headed. Damn how head wounds always did that to you. With some distance between them now, she tried throwing another blade, only for it to be caught out of the air and sent into her thigh. Her mind had not even a chance to be pulled into the nothingness when a boot slammed into her chest. Falling to the ground she was forced to watch as the dojo where she learned her craft was consumed in blue flames.

Drawn back to reality she finally looked upon Yami Azula with fear, the emotion worse than any time she had been around the Princess ever before. The Princess' eyes were narrowed, her lips still frowning, her entire stance now relaxed even. "**Now do you truly see what you face girl?**"

Mai's throat felt as if it were made of sand, but she managed to speak, "What in the name of Agni are you?"

"**Agni….Agni…..no, that false God will not save you here my dear. For I know of the **_**true**_** God that is the source of fire. Perhaps you would like to meet the one whom watches over the Fire Nation?**" With her arms crossed and dagger put away already, Yami Azula's pupil-less eyes glowed like the sun, the tan aura of the Spirit World forming around her.

**Western Air Temple**

Despite the setbacks, and knowledge that something was wrong with Azula, everyone was trying to keep their regular routines they'd started since arriving. Katara was making lunch while talking to her father and brother, whom kept watch over the comatose Ty Lee, Toph was napping, Aang and Zuko trained, Suki was bathing to get rid of the horrible stench of her prison time, and others did this and that to pass the time. Everything seemed to be going well for them for once.

Until Aang lost the air in his lungs and his tattoos glowed blue. His body hit the ground as his spirit left it, not hearing Zuko shout his name, or his friends coming to his side in a panic. His spirit form was whisked away in a flash of light, with no idea to why or where.

**Boiling Rock**

Even within the confines of the Spirit World could a storm form, weather being a concept that affected both worlds the same. So many Spirits within the realm looked uneasily at a gathering of dark clouds with the distance. Many could feel what was happening, and knowing they were nowhere near as strong as what was coming, they fled. Those that were braver, and shocked to feel what had not appeared for thousands of years, moved closer.

"**Before your mind is destroyed beyond all recognition I'll allow you to witness the return of a being more powerful than even the Avatar!**" Yami Azula had stopped glowing, now staring down Mai with a piercing glare as the storm clouds above them rumbled. "**The time has come to…..**" She trailed off and looked to her left, eyeing the translucent form of Aang whom appeared in the blink of an eye. "**Well look what we have here. The Avatar come to greet me and my God. How **_**touching**_**.**" With the spiteful way she said the word, the translucent copy of the right side of her face appearing again, before it stretched away and disappeared.

Aang had feared Azula for almost as long as he'd known her, the fact that she had temporarily killed him making that fear even worse. Seeing her now, with her impossible hair, muscular body, and the symbol for _Shadow_ glowing upon her forehead, he took a step back. His mind in fight or flight mode, before he decided to Airbend at his dangerous enemy. The attack passed harmlessly through the psychotic Royal, whom smirked at his failure.

"**Poor Avatar, you have no power to affect the living while in Spirit form. Did you forget, or has prolonged exposure to Zuzu killed what little intelligence you have?**" The smirk was now a full grin, showing sharp canines. Yami Azula turned back to Mai, now ready to end this disappointing fight. "**Gaze upon that which will be your end girl.**"

Above them the clouds parted and from them a large, golden sphere appeared. Aang could feel the absolute _power_ of whatever the sphere was, his spiritual senses flaring to the point it was causing him a headache. Mai was still trying to fight her fear, and seeing this, whatever it was, didn't help. Yet it also confused her. It was a large, golden ball. What was it supposed to do?

"**Do you know the legends of the old Gods girl? One for the ancient tribes of the Earth Kingdom, one for the philosophers of the Air Nomads, and one for the warriors of the Fire Nation. The Water Tribes have no such God anymore, not truly at least, for Tui and La gave up their true bodies to live the existence they do today. Spirits they may be called now, but once they were true Gods.**"

Aang was confused by Yami Azula's words and knowledge. He had never heard such a tale before, nor did he ever remember any of the other monks speaking of a God that watched over their people. "What are you talking about?"

Yami Azula turned her eyes to the boy again. "**Aw, what's wrong Avatar? Did your people not tell you, or perhaps they forgot, or maybe they just locked him away since they were such a disgustingly peace-loving bunch of **_**fools**_**.**" The second face appeared and stretched again, the dark girl feeling such joy watching the last Airbender glare at her, knowing he couldn't harm her. "**In any case, each Nation was watched over by a God that obeyed only those who had true power; for the weak have no place to command such beings after all. The Gods granted their people and their animals with the gift of Bending, even though they themselves could not use it. They had so much **_**power**_** though, that they didn't need bending.**"

"**So my dear, do you know how to unleash the God you see above? Being the most powerful of them all he is locked is his sphere until called.**" Yami Azula grinned at Mai, knowing that of course she did not. But the demented Princess did, all thanks to the Shadow.

"I…don't." Her leg was injured, her arm and cheek bleeding, and her mind hurting from the memories ripped away. There was nothing she could do.

"**Then I will do the honor of calling my God, by reciting the ancient chant!**"

"**Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry.**

**Transform thyself from orb of light, and bring me victory in this fight!**

**Envelope the world with your glow, and cast your rage upon my foe!**

**Unlock thy powers from deep within, so that together we may win.**

**Appear in this Shadow Game, as I call out your name!**

**Winged Dragon of Ra!**"

Golden light exploded from the sphere, and when the light faded a huge creature now hovered in the sky above them. As big as Ran and Shaw were, they would be like Appa next to the Winged Dragon of Ra. Its skin was gold in color, and looked as if made of stone feathers, with large wings, arms and legs, sharp claws and talons, a beak full of sharp teeth, an arc-like structure behind its head, and a teal colored gem upon its forehead. To Mai, Aang, and many of the Spirits that had appeared when they felt the God, Ra appeared to look like a golden Phoenix, though much deadlier.

When Ra roared it sent shockwaves outwards, affecting everyone but Yami Azula. She was quite pleased that many were shaking in fear of her and her God, in fact, most of the prison staff had come to the yard when Ra had emerged from his sphere. Oh the kneeling was so satisfying too, with my of the guards seeing such a being they knew it was divine in some way, and knelt before it as they should. Many of the Spirits that had appeared within the prison yard knelt to Ra as well, but not in fear. Instead they knelt in respect, at seeing a God returned after thousands of years that he was missing.

"**Now my dear, it's time to face true power! Winged Dragon of Ra, attack this traitor and show her **_**pain**_**!**" With her command Ra raised his head a little and began forming a ball of fire in its mouth. It only took seconds to complete, and with a _boom_, was fired towards its victim. Mai could only stare, frozen in fear, as the large ball impacted with an explosion that sent waves of air outward.

"No!" Aang tried to take the blast, not wanting Mai to be harmed by Ra's destructive attack. Being in Spirit form rendered him unable to however, despite being the Avatar. He held his breath in horror, praying and wishing that when the smoke cleared Mai would be ok.

When the girl could be seen again, it seemed a miracle that she wasn't blown to pieces. It was obvious she was in severe pain, having fallen to her knees and being held up by her arms. Her body had several burns on it, and her shoulder looked to be dislocated, but she was otherwise alive.

Aang was overjoyed, but also confused as to why Ra hadn't killed her. "**If I wanted her dead I would have just slit her throat Avatar. Ra merely taught her a lesson about respecting those of divine stature like myself.**" He glared at the approaching Princess, hating that she smiled at the pain she had caused. She held her hand out, aimed at Mai's face, the tan symbol upon her forehead glowing brighter. "**Instead of death, she'll suffer within the confines of her own mind. Watching as those she loves turn their back upon her, a fitting sight for a traitor!**" Mai's mind shattered and the pieces fell into a chamber that began filling with sand, all while her friends, family, and Zuko all watched carelessly.

When Yami Azula had punished Mai, Aang's head nearly exploded with pain. His Avatar senses flaring at what was definitely some kind of…_wrong_ was all that he could think of what he felt. Now the Princess had turned her empty eyes to him, a serious look now instead of a grin. "**I'll be coming for you soon enough Avatar. You, your peasant friends, Zuzu, all of you will fall before my God. I shall destroy the Avatar Cycle, then the world will fall to my rule. **_**Everyone**_** will bow before the ruler of this world, or Ra will burn this world until it is barren. Tell your pathetic friends what I've told you, so that they may have nightmares of me Avatar.**"

With that Yami Azula dismissed the Spirit World she had called upon, Aang being sent back to his body against his will. She turned to Ra and dismissed him as well, the God's form turning to dust as it disappeared, though the sound it made was almost…sad.

The Royal walked away from the now comatose Mai without care, ignoring several guards that rushed to the girl. Yami Azula had other plans to put into motion.

**Western Air Temple**

When Aang returned to his body he sat up sharply, gasping for air as if he had been drowning. His friends asked him if he was ok several times, but all he could think about was what he'd just seen: Azula with control over the Spirit World, her plan to conquer the world and rule over it, and a God that he hadn't even known existed until today, with two others apparently still undiscovered.

When his heart had finally returned to a slower pattern he looked upon his friends with serious eyes he seldom ever had, "We have a problem."

**Good, bad? Too long, too short, did the mythos not seem right? Let me know.**


	5. Another Plan

**Sorry about the wait. Things have been busy. Not been sleeping well either. It's been a while since I watched season 3, but I think with the way things are already going AU, that it won't need to be picture perfect. It's called AU for a reason I suppose.**

Morale around the Western Air Temple the last two days was low, and had yet to recover. Ty Lee was still in a coma, and had yet to so much as twitch since Aang's return from his involuntary trip through the Spirit World. Upon his return the information he had provided to everyone just about killed any good feelings that might have been flowing. Even with Sokka's bad humor, spirits had yet to improve.

_Two Days Before_

_"Aang what happened!?" Katara's voice was the first thing the Airbender could make out in the haze surrounding him. His eyes fluttered a little before they slowly opened, his Waterbending sifu watching over him with concern._

_ She helped him sit up, the forceful abduction from his body seemed to have left him feeling sore, allowing him to see his friends all surrounding him. "I was…at the Boiling Rock…but it was somehow in the Spirit World too. The way it felt….she pulled the Spirit World into the Human World somehow." His eyes going wide at his own realization._

_ "She? Do you mean my sister?" Zuko didn't understand what exactly Aang was saying, not fully at least, but having seen the transformation his sister went through he didn't really know what to think about anything involving her._

_ Aang nodded, then frowned further. "She put Mai into some kind of coma using some kind of spiritual power I've never heard of before. Then," He paused, thinking back to the other important thing that had happened. "She summoned a….God."_

_ "What?"_

_ Everyone looked at him like he'd lost his mind, and had he not seen it with his own eyes, he'd think himself crazy too. "I know what I saw." He spoke firmly, not a glimmer of his usually lighthearted self to be seen. "It looked like a giant, golden phoenix. Much bigger than Ran and Shao, and way more powerful. She called it the Winged Dragon of Ra, and said it was one of three forgotten Gods that used to watch over the world."_

_ He'd then told everyone about Yami Azula threatening to come after them, and using Ra to subjugate the world under her rule. That opened up various ideas of what they could possibly do to stop her, each one not very viable considering a ragtag group would not be able to bring down a God in a head-to-head confrontation. Such arguing and talking went on until Suki had a moment of inspiration._

_ "The other two Gods!" Everyone stopped talking and looked in her direction, wondering what she'd meant by that. "If Azula is able to control a God to be her weapon, then what's to say the other two can't be used against her?"_

_ Sokka looked at his love surprised, then a huge grin appeared. "Of course! If we had two out of the three and fought back then the Princess will have no chance!"_

_ Katara liked the idea, but she was also the one who always brought to light the flaws in things. "Where are we going to find them though? We didn't even know they existed until today, so how exactly are we going to use them? We don't even know their names, first off, or if Azula was even telling the truth."_

_ Zuko would not let such an idea go to waste so quickly though. "Do you know anything about these Gods, Chief Hakoda?" The Prince himself had never heard any stories or read anything about the Winged Dragon of Ra, so he had no information about the God that he could give his friends._

_ Hakoda, whom had been silent during the discussion so far, shook his head negatively. "Our tribe knew of the Moon and Ocean Spirits through the years, but we'd never had a story passed down that spoke of Gods who were worshipped by the other Nations. At least none that I know of, though it could be possible that they have been forgotten so long that all the tales of them have also disappeared, or even been purposely destroyed."_

_ Zuko grunted with disgust, not towards Hakoda, but towards the situation. "Spirits help us if we can't stop my sister, let alone my father, when Sozin's Comet arrives."_

_ "That's it!" Toph exclaimed suddenly, startling Aang and Katara, who were sitting next to her._

_ "What's it?" Suki was curious to know what the, up till then, silent girl had come up with._

_ "I remembered finally, about this story my mom told me once. Oh," She waved her hand in Aang's direction, "Twinkletoes should also talk to Avatar Roku or Kyoshi, maybe even further back, about the Gods. They might know a way to find them, or even just call them once or something."_

_ Aang grinned enthusiastically for the first time since waking, "Of course! Roku and Kyoshi both knew a lot more about the Spirit World than I do, and if I can talk to other Avatar Spirits they might know a thing or two also."_

_ "Great job Toph!" Sokka patted her back, getting punched in the arm for his effort of course. "Now, what's the story you were told?" Everyone leaned closer, wondering the same thing._

_ The blind girl lay back, her hands behind her head, staring at the ceiling of the temple as the memories came to her. "Well, one time when I was sick and in bed all day, my mom came in to check on me that night when everyone else was asleep. I told her that I was bored, she of course was more concerned about my being sick and that I should be sleeping. For some reason I just kind of lost control for a minute and demanded she stop treating me like I was a tea cup. Not in those words of course."_

_ Everyone chuckled lightly, knowing that Toph could really tear into someone when they pushed her too much. "So she relented and grabbed this book off my shelf, never had anyone read it to me before, and being blind I couldn't read obviously. Turns out it's this story about a great spirit that used to rule over the Earth Kingdom, and even though the book says it was a spirit, it also said that the people of the world worshipped it. That it was so powerful, most believed it to truly be a God. This spirit would protect the people of the Earth Kingdom, it was so powerful that even the Avatar paled in comparison to it."_

_ "Sounds like Ra, only being that it stood above the Earth Kingdom instead of the Fire Nation." Hakoda rubbed his chin, thinking of something. "You say that this book continuously called it a spirit though. Was it, or was it truly one of the three Gods?"_

_ Toph shook her head, "Definitely a God. The book even had a little note written about what supposedly happened when the God was called in times of need. It said, 'The descent of this mighty creature shall be heralded by burning winds and twisted land. And with the coming of this horror, those who draw breath shall know the true meaning of eternal slumber'."_

_ Everyone looked at her in silence for several moments, a bit stunned that Toph's mother would read such a thing to her, and stunned that something existed out there that would be given such a description. Although, after seeing Ra, Aang was not that surprised._

_ Suki broke the silence with a soft sigh. "Well if that's what they think about it when it's called to this world, it really must be a God." Although, part of her was also filled with a strange sense of pride. She had grown up learning the ways of a Kyoshi Warrior: to protect the innocent, to follow the values set forth by Avatar Kyoshi, and above all else to protect the Earth Kingdom. Knowing that a God with such power watched over her Nation was humbling of course, but the feeling of pride came from the fact that even if she had not known of it before today, Suki now knew of another being she would follow and worship that protected the Nation._

_ Toph was having feelings very similar, though her thoughts were more centered on the fact that had the God not been lost to history it could have been protecting the Earth Kingdom in all the years that the Fire Nation had been attacking it. She knew that she would worship it, were it to ever return like the Winged Dragon of Ra did._

_ Katara, however, felt a bit of trepidation at the thought of such a creature. She had seen how destructive Aang could be while in the Avatar State, and if these Gods were more powerful than that, it would be truly terrifying to have such beings against you. "If that's what they thought of it, I can only imagine what kind of name it had." Many of the spirits the Gaang had met over the months did indeed have strange names, or names that befit a wicked nature._

_ Toph smirked at the Waterbender, again the feeling of pride returning to her. "It did alright: Obelisk the Tormentor."_

_Present_

In the two days since then Aang had yet been unable to enter the Spirit World and make contact with Avatar Roku. No matter how much he meditated, trained, or slept the young Airbender was failing in his goal. It upset him, knowing that there was a chance his past lives could have answers that would allow them to deal with Azula and Ozai, and hold back Ra. There was also some underlining fear within his heart, remember something that Azula had said to him. The third God, currently unknown in name or history, which had watched over the Air Nomads, was forgotten by time just like his two counterparts. The feeling of fear came from when the psychotic Princess had said that his ancestors could have possibly sealed away their own God intentionally, in favor of their peace-loving culture that he had grown up within.

He had not said such to the others, but Aang currently feared that idea more than anything else in the world. Strange, considering how many times people had tried to end his life, but what is the loss of one's life in comparison to the loss of one's belief in an ideal. The Air Nomads were a kind people, all monks and nuns, who valued all life. They couldn't possibly have sealed away their own God.

Could they?

**Hmmm, no action this time. Some more world building and mythos, with some angst coming from Aang, two people already heading towards feelings of worship for Obelisk, and perhaps more if you squint. Here's a preview of the next chapter, because I'm feeling sweet.**

_Everything around her stilled. Not just the small animals and insects, but the feeling of the very air itself had stopped. This was it, this had to be the place. After the near deadly encounter two days ago, she was determined more than ever to find him._

_ Nothing was going to stop her now, not when her gut was telling her that she was so near to her goal. The temple a grand place, but that was not what she cared about. He was here, within the only chamber the structure had, and where others stayed away she kept going. She would not turn back now, she had to find him. Several more seconds of walking before she stopped again, it was pitch black all around her, but she didn't need sight to know that he was here._

_ His presence was nearly overwhelming to her, she could feel the absolute _power_ his being contained, and it drove her to her knees. Not in weakness, but in respect and worship of the divine God before her. She had no idea how a God would feel, but if she had been trapped within the Spirit World for thousands of years she'd be happy to leave. So with that thought, she looked to the vague shape in front of her._

_ "Obelisk the Tormentor, my divine God and protector, please hear my voice and return to the world again."_

_ Nothing happened for several minutes, doubt of her actions beginning to creep into her mind, when a pulse went through the air around her. A deep growl filled the chamber and red eyes slowly opened for the first time in millennia._


End file.
